Tel Aviv/Tehran/Washington, D.C.:- Last night, the US and Iran engaged in one of the biggest military confrontations since a ceasefire in April. The two countries exchanged fire, putting both the ceasefire and nuclear talks at risk.
The tensions began when US forces attacked a Botswana-flagged oil tanker heading to the Iranian port of Kharg Island with Hellfire missiles. US Central Command says the ship violated US sanctions and a blockade of Iranian ports.
In response, Iran claimed to have fired missiles at the Liberian-flagged vessel. However, the situation deteriorated when the US targeted an Iranian military control center on Qeshm Island near the Strait of Hormuz.
Following this attack, Iran fired missiles and drones towards Kuwait and Bahrain. Iran says it targeted US airfields and helicopter bases in the region, as well as the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain. Meanwhile, the US claims that all attacks on its bases were unsuccessful, with the Iranian missiles and drones either shot down in the air or failing to reach their targets.